HONDA SL230

230cc Petrol Class 2

#1818 of 5426 overall #238 of 921 HONDAs #1101 of 2787 other bikes

87.3%

first-time pass rate

4.7%

failed outright

13,130

median miles at test

575

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2015

The SL230's first-time pass rate has fallen 4.3 points since 2006, 87.2% to 82.9%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the SL230's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage SL230 passes first time 91.0% of the time; by 20k that's 77.1%.

First-time pass rate by odometer reading at test, 10,000-mile bands for this model. Mileage is the strongest reliability signal. See the full curve.

What fails on a SL230

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
steering and suspension	20	36.4	0.8×
lighting and signalling	13	23.6	0.4×
brakes	10	18.2	0.3×
drive system	4	7.3	0.7×
Items Not Tested	2	3.6	3.8×
lamps and reflectors	2	3.6	0.2×
reg plates and vin	2	3.6	0.6×
driving controls	1	1.8	0.7×
tyres and wheels	1	1.8	0.1×

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects. "vs all bikes" is how often this model's tests record a defect in the group, as a multiple of the all-bike rate.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the SL230 beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (YAMAHA YP250, YAMAHA WR250F, HONDA XR250).

YAMAHA YP250 82.5% pass · 12.4k tests YAMAHA WR250F 78.0% pass · 10.5k tests HONDA XR250 78.8% pass · 9,277 tests HONDA CBF250 84.9% pass · 7,536 tests

Rivals share this bike's type and sit within ±30% of its engine capacity, ≥ 5,000 tests. Card colour = better/worse first-time pass rate than the SL230.

Pass rate by registration year

how each model-year cohort fares · registration year from first use date

Best year to buy used: 1997 (94.4% pass). Weakest: 1998 (81.9%).

First-time pass rate by the year each bike was first registered (cohorts with ≥ 50 tests). Older cohorts are survivors: the worst examples have already left the road, which tends to lift the earliest years.

HONDA SL230 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA SL230 reliable?

The HONDA SL230 is more reliable than average for its class: 87.3% of its 575 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #1818 of 5426 models.

What does a SL230 fail its MOT on most?

steering and suspension — 36% of all defects recorded against failed SL230 tests.

What is the best year of SL230 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1997-registered examples do best (94.4%) and 1998 worst (81.9%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a SL230 last?

The median SL230 shows 13,130 miles at test, and examples around 20k miles still pass 77.1% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.